Why Johnny Gargano is a true wildcard in WWE NXT

Johnny Gargano has been with WWE NXT since 2015, and he has accomplished nearly everything on the brand. He is a former NXT Champion, a three-time NXT North American Champion, and had a memorable tag team with friend-turned-rival Tommaso Ciampa.

On the most recent episode of NXT, Gargano did not bask in the full glory of what his fellow The Way stablemates, Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell, would accomplish later in the show (winning the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships). However, he did attack NXT Champion Karrion Kross, solidifying his own agenda as an upper midcard heel on the brand.

Johnny Gargano is a true wildcard on WWE NXT.

During his attack on Kross, Gargano wore the North American Title around his waist, but he initially did not acknowledge his own championship during the attack. Even though Gargano is a champion, it looks like he intends to throw his name in the loop for the NXT Championship.

It is the perfect storm for chaos and it bears a question: Is Gargano looking to become a double champion, something only accomplished briefly by Keith Lee? It will not be easy achieving this feat since it not only involves Kross but also other contenders who have carved out decorated careers in NXT.

Later that night, Candice Larae and Indi Hartwell won the NXT Women’s Tag Team Titles from Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart. Gargano left the arena unceremoniously to avoid the wrath of Kross before the match started. In a Youtube-exclusive video, Gargano returned to celebrate with LeRae and Hartwell for a lukewarm celebration.

The likelihood that “Johnny Wrestling” will be able to celebrate even more next week is unlikely since Karrion Kross will not be too far behind, especially since Austin Theory has a match where he is essentially the sacrificial lamb being sacrificed to the NXT Champ.

Surely Gargano’s plan did not end when he laid Kross out, so the question is: What will he do next? The truth is, he can do just about anything. NXT is his playground and since he has accomplished everything, who knows what Gargano will do to add to this chapter of his career.

It will not matter whether he is victorious or comes up short in a potential match with Kross, but if he is victorious, he will add another milestone to his CV by becoming the first NXT Triple Crown champion to have multiple world title reigns, an accomplishment even Adam Cole doesn’t have yet.

As Michael Caine said in The Dark Knight, “Some people just want to watch the world burn”. That may be the best description of Johnny Gargano at this point in his storied run in NXT. As the North American Champion, he still has a lot to lose, but that isn’t stopping him from going all-in for the brand’s top prize. He has accomplished everything there is to accomplish and he has now stirred the pot of chaos with the NXT Title picture.

Gargano has added another element to his long NXT career, which is not easy to do. Now, it’s time to see if Gargano has a plan to help Austin Theory survive against the monstrous Karrion Kross next week on WWE NXT.